Ashliegh Sola, 25, shows the injury to her leg that she suffered April 19, 2015, during an altercation with police in downtown Long Beach. (Photo by Stephen Carr/Daily Breeze)

Ashliegh Sola, 25, left, Sophia Lopez, 32, Thomas Ramirez, 35, Gerardo Lopez, 26, and Isabella Barcenas, 24, were all involved in an altercation with the Long Beach Police Department early April 19, 2015. Some say they were injured by officers’ batons. (Photo by Stephen Carr/Daily Breeze)

Ashleigh Sola a group of friends had gone out Saturday night in downtown Long Beach on the second night of Grand Prix, but she said the evening turned unnecessarily violent after Long Beach police beat them with batons and threw them to the ground.

The incident at about 2 a.m. Sunday was captured on cellphone video by at least two people. Both videos show officers clutching batons in the midst of a chaotic scene in which a woman was thrown to the ground.

Police said officers initially tried to break up a fight between two men and had to use force to protect a victim. The Long Beach video, which at times pans away from the actions under review, shows a situation in which police were face-to-face with an unruly group of people. Following the 30-second mark, the video shows an officer grapple a woman to the ground after what appears to be an effort to handcuff her.

Those involved in the brawl – Sola, 25, of Long Beach; Gerardo Lopez, 26, of Paramount; and Thomas Ramirez, 35, of Wilmington – were arrested on a combination of crimes, including assault on a peace officer, public intoxication and resisting arrest. Another man, Kelvin Grant, 39, of Long Beach, was also arrested on suspicion of public intoxication and refusing to leave the scene, but was not associated with the group.

Sola and her friends dispute the police department’s account of the incident. They acknowledge that Lopez was involved in an argument with another person shortly before the incident, but say that the argument never escalated beyond words.

“It was fast … It was like the argument was done, our backs were turned towards the street, we were getting everybody so we could leave and we turn around and the cops are there with their batons out and they just start swinging,” said Sophia Lopez, 32, a friend of Sola, Ramirez’ girlfriend and Lopez’ sister. She was present at the scene Sunday but was not arrested.

Officers did not give warning or tell the crowd to disperse, according to Ramirez. He remembers at least 10 officers at the scene but could not say exactly how many.

Sophia Lopez said Sola was put into a chokehold and thrown to the ground.

“When she was thrown to the floor, [Ramirez] tried to help her get up and then they started pushing him and hitting him with the baton,” Sophia Lopez said. “We weren’t doing anything. All we were doing was trying to leave.”

She and her friends and family members say they think officers should have tried to communicate before using any force.

Richard Rocchi, deputy chief in the Long Beach Police Department, said this week the incident will be scrutinized just as all other use-of-force incidents are. Regarding a video shot by Jose Molina and provided to the Press-Telegram this week, Rocchi said the woman appeared to be physically refusing the officer’s attempt to handcuff her.

“She was pulling away, and that’s what I’m seeing in the video, and he [the officer] chose to pull her to the ground and handcuff her,” he said.

The officers’ actions are subject to an official review and may take several weeks to complete, police said.

After they were arrested, Ramirez said they were taken to the police station and after some time, to a hospital where they were treated and read their rights.

Ramirez said he was worried because he didn’t know if the arrest would affect his and Sophia Lopez’ ability to take care of their two daughters, ages 14 and 1.

Her brother Lopez was booked on suspicion of fighting in public, being drunk in public and resisting arrest. Ramirez was booked on suspicion of being drunk in public and resisting arrest. Sola was booked on suspicion of battery against a peace officer, being drunk in public and resisting arrest.

Grant was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, being drunk in public, having an open container of alcohol and possession of marijuana.

All four people who were arrested have made bail and are scheduled to appear in court May 14.